Who are You?
by InsertStupidNameHere
Summary: Things in need of saying Realizations in need of making A public in need of awakening A world in need of shaking A path in need of finding New things in need of trying Tears in need of drying The messages underlying
1. Chapter 1

_"The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice._

_'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar._

_This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I-I hardly know, Sir, just at present-at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'_

_'What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar, sternly. 'Explain yourself!'_

_'I ca'n't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir,' said Alice, 'because I'm not myself, you see.'_

_'I don't see,' said the Caterpillar._

_'I'm afraid I ca'n't put it more clearly,' Alice replied, very politely, 'for I ca'n't understand it myself, to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'_

_'It isn't,' said the Caterpillar._

_'Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; 'but when you have to turn into a chrysalis – you will some day, you know – and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, wo'n't you?'_

_'Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar._

_'Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice: 'all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.'_

_'You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously. 'Who are you?'"_

Lewis Carroll. Those who knew him said he always was fond of children, but never of adults. In his book, _Alice in Wonderland_, he shows his readers that growing up is a tedious and self-contradicting process.

Just think about it. When Alice is small, what does she wish she were? Bigger. When she's bigger, what does she want? To be small again. Isn't this how we all are? At the age of four, playing dress up, and taking care of dolls as if we were our own parents. But as we grow, we discover ignorance really is bliss. The world of adults is not as glamorous as we once perceived it to be, as it shows us our flaws.

Flaws. Each obstacle she faces highlights them. Naturally, Alice goes about trying to fix them. At first, she's "too big" to fit through the door. Then, "too small" to reach the key, then once again "too big" for the door. In the same way, there's no pleasing society.

Alice's opinion on her size changes as well. Once she is finally small enough to fit through the tiny door at the beginning of the story, she's satisfied with herself. That is, until she discovers that she's now too small to reach the key sitting on the table. Then, once again, she feels hopeless and upset. Did you ever stop to think that this may be a metaphor for society? It's always telling us we have to be skinnier, prettier, smarter, etc. There's always another obstacle for Alice to overcome, yet she doesn't meet these social standards to "fit in". Isn't that always the problem? Fitting in? Like, fitting through a door?

In her conversation with the Caterpillar, Alice says on multiple occasions, that she doesn't know who she is. She knows who she _was_, but is confused as to who she is at the moment. She explains that she's changed so much, that she can't tell anymore. Sound familiar? In this curse we call "growing up", many of us go through confusion as to our own identity. Who _am_ I? Who are _you?_ Often, we come to a point where we don't know anymore. What makes me an individual? How am I different from anyone else? What is my purpose? Do I even have one? Looking back, we can identify things about ourselves that answered these questions. What about now? I've changed, and those answers no longer apply. So do they have answers anymore?

Identity. What is mine? What are my distinctive features?

Who am I?

Who are _you?_


	2. Chapter 2

Let's take a look at _Peter Pan_ for a moment, shall we? We all know the story of the boy who lost his shadow. The boy who whisked Wendy, John, and Michael off to Neverland. The boy who never grew up. It's quite a lovely fantasy, to never grow up. It fits in nicely with our realization of Alice's change to adulthood, and her loss of self identity.

My favorite characters have to be the Lost Boys. Their spirit for adventure carry on into any situation. The title itself carries a lot of meaning as well; _Lost_ Boys. Lost, as in what? Identity, like Alice? No. What do the Lost Boys do, really? Go on adventures, yes, but what purpose does that serve? Who benefits from that? Do they have a purpose? Have they lost their way? Lost their dreams? Just something to think about; if they never grow up, does that mean they don't have a future?

In the very beginning, Peter has lost his shadow. We all know what shadows represent. In other words, darkness. The dark side of Peter. He refuses to even acknowledge its existence, much less his need for it, so he remains his age. It's impossible for him to mature without accepting the fact that not all is fun and games. He can't grow up without admitting that there are wrongs with the world. For the same reason, he treats his "adventures" with Captain Hook like mere games as well.

Within their little world, Peter is the father, and Wendy is the mother. Yes, he can act as if he loves her, but as he says "it's only pretend." That's his whole outlook on life, isn't it? This fact, as Wendy comes to realize, is the price that comes with never growing up. Because in his eyes, nothing is taken seriously, he fails to see the consequences that could result from failure. What was failure, to him? Does it exist, in his mind? It's because of this, that Wendy realizes that he can never truly love her, for he refuses to grow up.

In one of the final battles Peter has with Captain Hook, everything seems to be going fine, until Hook opens his mouth. In this moment, Peter is introduced to more cold, hard truth than he ever has experienced before. Hook describes without regret a future not too far away, where Wendy has grown up. Where she has gone back to England. Where she has a family of her own. Where when Peter comes to visit her, thinking only a small period of time has passed, is surprised to find someone completely different than the girl he left behind. Where another occupies the space at her side. All the while, this battle is still taking place. Slowly, Hook had been taking the upper hand. You can almost see the raw emotion showing on Peter's face, confusing him. All he has ever known was happiness. Again, ignorance is bliss. Just as Hook delivers a final blow, knocking Peter's sword out of his hand, he finishes his story with "and she calls him… _husband._" As a look of terror and disbelief registers on Peter's face, he discovers himself weaponless, and Hook has won the battle.

It is in this very moment, that Peter grows up, if even just a little. He has discovered all these new emotions. Despair, hopelessness, sadness, and longing. It is in this moment, that he recognizes his shadow for the first time. Where he realizes what reality truly was. He stops pretending. He sees that good does not always win.

However, as this is a children's tale, this cannot be the end. Neverland itself loved the boy of innocence so much, that the very land mourned his loss. As people came to admit their belief in good and in the purity of childhood, he regains his strength. And thus, Neverland has repaired its mutual relationship with this extraordinary boy. As he never grows up, time never passes there, and Neverland, and everything in it, is kept in an eternal summer. A paradise.


	3. Chapter 3

Who are you?

I am like Alice. I may not know much else about myself, other than this fact.

I am lost. I am currently finding my way, and my purpose. My future.

I am like Peter. I am constantly discovering new things about myself.

I am not a child, and not an adult. I don't think I will ever truly be either.

Now, who do you want to be?

Find your rabbit hole.

Find your Neverland.

Find your dreams.

Find your paradise.

Find yourself.

"_When she was just a girl_

_She expected the world_

_But it flew away from her reach_

_So she ran away in her sleep_

_To a paradise."_


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